Melbourne dog attacks: Figures reveal eight incidents reported a day

One area of the city has claimed the dubious title of being the hotspot for dog attacks. See how your suburb compares.

A woman was dragged by a dog during a horrific Bulleen attack. Picture: 9 news

Almost eight dog attacks are happening across Melbourne each day on average, new figures reveal.

Days after a Bulleen nurse had her ear bitten off by a vicious dog outside her home, data obtained by the Herald Sun shows that there have been at least 2826 reports of vicious attacks, including rushings (snarling and coming close to a person), in the past year.

About 134 of these have been prosecuted in court, according to figures provided by councils in metropolitan Melbourne.

Suburbs in Casey such as Cranbourne, Berwick and Narre Warren, have emerged as the city’s hotspot for attacks, with 359 incidents recorded since April 2022 – 64 per cent more incidents than less densely populated areas.

A woman in her 60s lost an ear during a horrific attack at Bulleen. Picture: 7 News

Southeastern suburbs in Kingston and Knox each recorded 218 incidents.

There were 229 reports made in Brimbank, 203 in Darebin and 187 in Frankston.

There were 170 attacks in Manningham, which governs the suburb of Bulleen, where the nurse, aged in her 60s, was mauled on April 10.

It is understood the 50kg Bull Arab cross ripped off most of one of her ears and left cuts to her neck when he dragged her several metres along the ground.

Since April last year, there have been 117 serious injuries caused to both humans and dogs.

There were 179 recorded attacks and rushings in Bayside, 175 in Monash and 183 in Cardinia.

The City of Melbourne saw a 59 per cent increase in the number of registered dogs since 2018, jumping from 3,292 to 5,132.

Twenty per cent of those dogs were registered in the past two years, which has been attributed to a rise in recent attacks, with 105 recorded since April 2022.

Boroondara and Port Phillip each recorded 103 attacks.

Moonee Valley recorded 109 attacks and Maroondah recorded 48.

The worrying rate of the attacks shows a slight spike since 2020, when there were an average of five attacks across Melbourne daily.

Tuppy was mauled by a dog at Tooronga Park in Malvern. Picture: Supplied

Jack russell and miniature foxie cross Tuppy was left dripping in blood when a large black dog suddenly bit him around his stomach and “rag dolled” him to the ground in Malvern’s Tooronga Park.

Its owner left the park without providing their contact details following the attack, during which Tuppy’s owner was mauled, leaving Tuppy needing a full body bandage and multiple overnight stays at the vet, which cost about $3000.

“The shrieking was so loud. Mum tried to get Tup and got her hand mauled as a result. The owner of the other dog did nothing,” his owner said.

“Tuppy got free and just bolted while screaming. The owner took the dog and left the park. “He didn’t say anything to mum or provide details.”

Two dogs, including a boxer cross breed, attacked South Melbourne resident Lydia O’Connor and her three-year-old irish setter, Fionn, while he was on a leash at a nearby dog park on March 13.

Puncture marks on Tuppy’s stomach. Picture: Supplied

The pair escaped their owner’s grip, dragging her along while running towards Ms O’Connor and her dog, leaving her with cuts and grazes on her leg from trying to pull the out-of-control dogs away.

“His big collar saved him,” she said.

“They were attacking him at his neck, they would have bitten into his throat if he wasn’t wearing it.”

A 12-year-old girl was forced to undergo surgery after she and her dog were mauled by two large dogs in a Berwick park in front of her parents in July last year.

In March, a rottweiler bit a 56-year-old man in the face during a robbery in Richmond.

Foxie, an elderly rescue dog, was forced to undergo life-saving surgery after two german shepherds attacked it at Rupert Wallace Reserve in Glenroy in June last year.

Casey Council connected communities manager Sarah Ball said 154 of the council’s 359 attacks were dog-on-dog attacks, while 95 were dog-on-human attacks.

“Public places, such as parks and streets are the most common locations for dog attacks, usually involving dogs who had escaped from their home property or who were not being kept under effective control while in public,” she said.

There are currently 36,729 dogs and cats registered in Casey within its 390,000 residents.

Port Phillip Mayor Heather Cunsolo said: “Most reported dog attack incidents take place when a dog owner is a visitor from outside Port Phillip, and their dog is experiencing anxiety after being exposed to a new environment”.

The total number of reported incidents does not include data from all metropolitan councils.

Attacks against unregistered pets are also not included.

Most attacks reportedly occurred in public locations, such as parks or residential streets.

Many councils flagged that most attacks happened when dogs escaped their owners’ properties.

Originally published as Melbourne dog attacks: Figures reveal eight incidents reported a day